Folding rule



W. H. HART AND D. GOULD.

EOL'DING RULE.

l APPLICATION mio SEPT. 12;A 1921. 1,438,235. l Patnted Dec. 12, 1922.

, 15 Il I...6 a fh-I gwwntoz watwbbad- @ma cj...- a aan, /E

Patented Een. l2, 19222.,

narran stars-s rarest,ortica.;-

warren n. naar Nn DAVID sentii,

- f iaaans' or Nnw snr-"MIN, oo'NNnorrco'r, assidNons `fro THE STANLEY woi'txs, or Nnw Beisein, ooNNiiorrcUfr, A CORPORATION or -ooN- NnoTIcUT.

FoLniNG RULE.

Appiicaiion iiiea september 12,1921. serial No. 509,161.

T0 all whom it may concern.' y;

Be it known that we, VALTNR 'l-l. lrlairi and Diivin GfoULD, citizens of the United States, and residentsI or New Britain, county of Hartford, State oi Connectieut, have in.-`

vented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Rules, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates .to folding rules made up of rule sections formed of thin strips of resilient metaland pivoted together v at their overlapping ends'.

The object of the present invention is to embodiment which thel ,present invention `may talie, v i

Fig. 1 is a view showing two sections of L v the rule in extended relation.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the lower sec- Y provision is made for rendering the portions 'of the sections' adjacent the rivets mor'e4v non 5i Figi.

Fig. 3 is a view taken longitudinally and centrally, through the joint between theses-y these corugations terminate in a pair or branches or corrugations 12, 12, between which a rivet o is positioned. rlhe portions of the sections adjacent the rivets are bent upl out of the plane oic the sections and flush with the tops of the corrugations 12, thereby providing bosses 141,14. It will be seen that the corrugations 12 oi contiguous sections f are so arranged that those of one section, in the present instance the lower section a', are

adapted to nest the grooves provided by the, corrugations of a contiguous section, when these sectionsa-re vinaeither folded-up erin extended relation, and thus the sections are maintained against relative' turning movement. V j

If desired the overlapping end ofone section maybe provided with holes or 'recesses 15 and the contiguous section with round protuberances 116 arranged to engage in the holesl when the sections are in aline-.

ment. These holes and protuberance'svprovide additional means for` maintaining theparts 'against relative turnii'ig 4movements and also serve to prevent 'the' parts from moving endwise or longitudinally or" each other in the event wear on the stems of the rivets becomes excessive ortlie edges of the perforations in the sections through which the rivets pass become enlarged.

`It will be seenv that the' rivets so connect contiguous sections together that when these sections are turnedl relative to one another the n'ietal'or1 the sections must yieldv to permit the corrugati'ons'to ride into and out of nesting relation'.

ln accordance with the present invention,

flexible so that thev sectionsY lmay be easily turnedand excessive strains `on thev pivotal connections may be reduced or eliminated. To this end,""1n the `present illustrati-ve* disclosure, one of the overlappingends of the contiguous sections is slitted or slotted as at 2O to both sides of the pivot i5 thus providing' a spring 21 through which the rivet extends.V

It will be seen vthat with this arrangement,

upon turning contiguous sections relative to one another,`the spring 21 will `flex perinitway or illustration only aiidit is not to be takenv as restrictive or my conception, for

the invention is susceptible of various modications and changes; orinstance,both or` eitherof the overlapping ends of contiguous sections may be slitted, slotted, or otherwise.4 weakened in the areas adjacent the pivotal connections so as'to increase the flexibility of these portionsor areas; also the stiiening and interlocking corrugations and the slits or slots may have various forms .and arrangements.

TWe claiin as our invention l. ln an all-metal folding rule, rule sections each comprising-a thin strip of rresilient metal, one of said sections having an integral spring formed therein, both ends of said spring being connected With its section, and a pivotal connection between said spring and the overlapping end ot a contiguous section.

2. ln all-metal tolding rule, rule sec tions oit thin. resilient metal having interengaging means for inaintainingthc sections in alineinent,` and a pivotal connection bef tween the overlapping ends thereof., one of said sections being slotted on opposite sides oit said connect-ion by separated slots, thus forming a spring, both ends ot which are connected with the section.V

3. ln an all-metal foldingrule, rulesections oi3 thin resilient metal having at their overlapping ends corriigationsl adapted; to nest, and a rivet connecting said sections., one ofv said sections being slotted on opposite sides of said rivet by separated slots7 thus forming a spring, both ends of Which are connected With the sectioni L in an all-metal folding, rule rnlesections each comprising a thin strip otresilient metal, the overfagping, ends of contiguous sections having bosses adapted to seat one in thefother, and a rivet extending through apertures,v in said bosses, one ot said bosses being slotted: to both .sides of said rivet.

5. ln an all-metal folding rule, rule sections, and ineans for pivotally connecting the overlapping ends thereof, each of said sections comprising a thin resilient strip of metal provided with a longitudinally extending stilening, corrugation terminating at the overlapping ends. of thev sections in a pair oic corrugations equally Spfed on opposite sides of said pivotal connection.

6. ln an all-metal folding rule, rule sections jointed together, each section comprising a thin strip of resilient inetal having a sti'iiening eorrugation extending substantially throughout its length, the corrugations of contiguous sections being arranged t0 nest When the sections are in alineinent, the overlapping ends of contiguous sections also having interengaging holes and protuherances for maintaining saidsections in proper relation.

7. in an all-metal folding rule, rule sections, each comprising a thin strip of resilient metal, andeach section having a corrugation extending throughout its length and transverse shoiillers that are adapte l to nest together to maintain proper relation of the sections longitudinally.

8. n an allmetal folding rule, rulesections, each comprising a thin strip of metal, pivots connecting said sections, andeacli section having a corrugationA extending from one pivot to the opposite end of the section and transverse shoulders that are adapted to nest together to maintain proper relation of they sections longitudinally.

9. ln an all-metal folding rule, pivoted rule sections, each comprising a thin strip ot resilient metal, and each section having a V ig-ation extending throughout its entire lengi'ih, said sections having transverse shoulders formed therein in symmetrical pairs on opposite sides of said pivot for preventing longitudinal movement of said sections relative to eachother.

10. ln an all-metal folding rule', rule sections, each comprising a thin strip of metal, pivots connecting said sections,v and each section having a coriugation extending from one pivot to the opposite end of the section, saidv sections having transverse shoulders formed therein in symmetrical pairs on 0pposite sides ot' saidI pivots for preventing longitudinal movement of'said sections relative to each other. Y

WALTER l-l'. HART. DAVD GULD. 

